1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to confined space entry and rescue training, and more particularly to a modular mobile training simulator that may be adapted for simulation of a wide variety of different rescue situations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Rescue professionals and others are continuously presented with different scenarios for extricating victims from confined spaces such as the interiors of tanks, grain elevators, underground manholes, culverts, and the like to name a few. As a result, it is important that rescue professionals and employees in businesses having personnel who work in confined spaces receive regular specialized training in the procedures for rescue of victims from confined spaces. Often rescue efforts are hampered by the presence of toxic fumes, hazardous materials or dangerous machinery, giving rise to the need for additional training procedures for dealing with such situations.
Different confined space rescue training methods and simulators have been developed in the prior art. Mobile training simulators have been developed ranging from simple trailer-mounted tanks having an upper entry opening, to elaborate simulators with sloping floors, changeable maze configurations, and wire mesh walls that allow trainers to view the trainees inside. While the elaborate training simulators may be appropriate for wide ranging rescue training, many municipalities and businesses face budgetary restrictions that make use of such training devices cost prohibitive. As a result, there is a very practical need for an inexpensive yet relatively complete confined space rescue training system.
The present invention provides a mobile confined space rescue training simulation unit having a simple modular construction that allows for numerous adjustments so as to provide a wide range of different confined space rescue scenarios in order to meet a variety of specialized training needs. The unit is preferably trailer-mounted for portability and has an elongated work area. The interior of the simulator unit is divided into two sections of roughly equal size. Each section is designed to be easily reconfigured using minimum personnel and a few simple hand tools when a different training scenario or evolution is desired.
The first section of the simulator has a sloped wall that can be replaced with a set of rotatable mixer blades. The second section is a simulated industrial column with removable internal trays. Additionally the simulator has a small diameter piping that runs the length of the simulator. A sliding door and a square opening allows for access between the sections. Trainees working on the top of the simulator are protected by a handrail system made from heavy-duty cup and cap type scaffolding. For towing, the handrails can be removed and stored inside the simulator.
The sloped wall section can be accessed from the outside by a single door on the side of the section or from a round opening at the top. The sloped wall is joined in the middle and can be separated into two hinged sections that fold out of the way to allow installation of the mixer blades. The base of the sloped wall has a rectangular-shaped opening that can be closed off for a training exercise on the sloped wall, or opened to allow for access below and behind the sloped wall. Additionally, the sloped wall can be folded out of the way in order to allow one or more different hazardous machinery or material scenarios to be placed in this section of the simulator The mixer blade simulation features a double set of quadruple mixer blades on a rotating shaft. The shaft can be locked out or left to freely rotate during training.
The second section of the simulator is adjacent to the first, and an opening is provided between the two sections to allow access from one section to the other. The second section also includes a set of double doors at one end allowing unrestricted access to the interior. The doors allow access to a plurality of removable and reversible trays having openings at various locations therein. By changing the placement and configuration of the tray and their respective openings, different columns of access may be established, such as vertical, zigzag, rotating, maze, and the like. Both the orientation of the tray openings and spacing between the trays may be changed to meet the desired training needs. Once the trays are placed, access to the second section is gained through either a round or a separate square opening at the top of the section. To add an increased level of difficulty a T-shaped tube may be bolted onto the flanged edge of one of the roof openings to create a horizontal entry point followed by a vertical descent into the trays. The trays may be removed from the simulator to allow for the installation of optional hazardous materials training scenarios. The opening between the two sections allows for combining training scenarios using both sections.
A narrow diameter pipe runs the length of the simulator, and can be used to simulate entry into boilers, storm drains, etc. The pipe may also be used to determine the confinement anxiety levels present in the trainees in, and to teach them how to deal with the high stress that can be caused by confinement.
For hazardous materials training such as rooftop domes and valve leak control, the top of the simulator may be fitted with an optional set of truck and rail car domes with valves that are connected to a water hose for simulated leak control evolutions. Either water or air is piped to the valves, and teams of trainees access the top using a fixed or portable ladder to evaluate and control the leaks.
For barrel rack leak control and containment training, a multi-barrel rack may be installed in the tray section with the barrels in a horizontal configuration. One or more of the barrels is then filled with water. A leak may then be established from a loose barrel bung or from a hole caused by corrosion or mechanical damage.
For compressed gas leak control training, a bank of compressed gas cylinders may be moved into the sloped wall/mixer blades section of the unit, and secured in place or placed on their sides or on top of each other. Teams access the area through the exterior door in order to control the leak.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a versatile mobile modular confined space and hazardous materials training simulator that may be adjusted in multiple ways in order to simulate a wide variety of confined space rescue and hazardous material cleanup scenarios.
It is also an important object of the present invention to provide a modular confined space training simulator that is designed to be quickly and easily adjusted to simulate one or more of a large number of different confined space rescue scenarios.
It is also an important object of the present invention to provide a modular confined space training simulator having a first section including a retractable sloping floor that will accommodate a rotatable shaft and beater blade assembly for hazardous machinery training, and a second section for receiving a plurality of adjustable trays having openings therein for simulating a labyrinth through which the rescue trainees travel.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a confined space training simulator having two adjacent modular sections, each of which may be separately adjusted to simulate a given training scenario, such that the modular sections may be used independently or together to simulate a wide variety of different combined training exercises.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a modular confined space training simulator having a narrow diameter tube for simulating a culvert and for use in helping trainees recognize and respond to anxiety and stress caused by confinement.
Additional objects of the invention will be apparent from the detailed descriptions and the claims herein.